The new saw-toothed Maritime Museum in the small Norwegian port town of Porsgrunn by Danish architects COBE and TRANSFORM manages to fit into its surroundings, by mirroring the shapes of the town's characteristic gabled roofs, while at the same time appearing contemporary with its abstract shape and aluminum facades.

The characteristic oval shape and the almost scale-like facade - made of the twisting ribbons that form the balconies - makes the new InterContinental Hotel in Davos, Switzerland, designed by Munich-based architecture office Oikos Architekten, a striking landmark. Like a giant, shimmering pinecone amidst snow-clad pine trees of the Swiss Alps.

Praised as one of the best completed works by 2009 Pritzker Laureate Peter Zumthor, the Vals Thermal Baths might be one of the most iconic buildings in Swiss contemporary architecture. Already in 1998, just two years after its opening, it became a national monument. The building definitely rewards its visitors with the rare pleasure of experiencing a genuine example of timeless architecture.